These are NOT giant chocolate macarons seats... But rather freebie eats at the Barry Callebaut cafe for the starving professional attendents. Spoons is righ!There were plenty of celebrity chefs signing their cookbooks like Stephan Glacier.And other pastry chefs busy judging chocolate sculptures... Did you know that all chocolate cullinary students must create these elaborate concoctions that no one ever gets to eat? It's part of the training. There was also a replay of the final of the World Chocolate Masters, an international competition taking place.French pastry schools were well represented by Pierre Herme's Atelier among others.

Carol, As one who shares your love of water color, and in particular, wonderful granulated sienna washes, I have a challange for you.Artists paint with tea; so how about a whole painting with dilutions of chocolate washes?And if the paper is hand made, say, of veggie materials, then you could eat your painting for dessert!

It behooves me to address your concerns M. Terney.I do have a recipe for making cocoa paint from pure cocoa..But since cocoa does not like water it's a real b---h to make a good slurry of the powder into paint.Painting with coffee is way easier.Most paper is cotton-based, but could be treated at some stage with horrid pesticides.So...no I'm not going to paint with cocoa nor am I going melt any of my very good chocolate bars and smear them around so I can then eat my artwork. It's hard enough to paint a good chocolate using tradional material!I will continue to eat my chocolate and avoid eating my paints.I cannae nay say more.So be it!

I'm dying!!! How lucky are you to have been there... so jealous!!! I love Stephane Glacier too. And the Weiss chocolates and those macarons, and the Pierre Herme stand... Thank you so much for sharing that with us. Tha's why I love your blog.

I 've painted with tea. In a bind I have painted with beer instead of water...it was Bermuda, I am not wasting perfectly good water. But painting with chocolate? Cocoa graphite, cocoa conté maybe on handmade paper...hmm...I was going to say no way...but... an idea is forming..uh oh.. I would of course prefer to taste the yummy stuff from yesterday and today. :)All best, Jan

Instead of painting I will just dive into that vat of chocolate in one of your photos.. dang. and I want some of those chocolate macarons..Yummm Your killing me.. I am on a diet. I am on a diet. Now I'll click my chocolate shoes three times. LOL

A Ripple Effect?Hello Carol, I must share this with you. A couple of weeksago you had a photoof a pair of flats with cherries on them in a NYCwindow. Too cute ! I could just make out the brand -CL Laundry. The GOOGLE hunt began.I found them on line on a Monday evening and I waswearing themby Wednesday evening ! I receive beaucoup compliments whenever I wear them. Thanks for snapping the photo!

I am a devout Francophile who only makes it toParis every 3 or 4 years. I enjoy your blogimmensely.

Again this year, I missed our chocolate show (must have been out hunting rabbits - it was before the new year's resolutions)! But I bet it can't touch the French show! Something -no, somethings- for everyone!!! I have a recipe for white chocolate ravioli stuffed with chocolate ganache and sauce with something wonderful.....perhaps I should track it down and try making it.

and here's the "thought for the day", from our friend Mr. Thiebaud:Thiebaud invests his images with a significance normally denied them. "The objects are for me like small landscape buildings, or characters in a play with costumes," He once stated. "They have all these images for me... When the painter creates a microcosm, a little world that he (she!)is able to manipulate and to bring parts of into existence, (he/she) gets much downright pleasure from the experience."Now just who does that remind you of, my dear, who just happens to be painting her very own little microcosim...mmmm?You and Thiebaud are of a like mind, it seems.

Hello Carol, I must share this with you. A couple of weeks ago you had a photo of a pair of flats with cherries on them in a NYC window. Too cute ! I could just make out the brand -CL Laundry. The GOOGLE hunt began.I found them on line on a Monday evening and I was wearing themby Wednesday evening ! I receive beaucoup compliments whenever I wear them. Thanks for snapping the photo! I am a devout Francophile who only makes it toParis every 3 or 4 years. I enjoy your blogimmensely.

I think you might be able to solve the chocolate-slurry paint problem by dissolving the chocolate in boiling water, then diluting to the concentration you want. Otherwise, no, you can stir all you like, and it will never dissolve nicely.

The religieuse chair is a hoot! Ah the wild and crazy life of Chocolate! And re-the strawberry tartelettes: paint away my friend...paint away! That would be an honor!I hope that one day we can do the Salon together!